Just before the economic crisis really hit with a bang, I had noticed the gouging of the middle class getting progressively worse. I knew this couldn't continue, and somehow it had to stop. It was all going to blow, because they couldn't continue to make us pay and pay and pay and never give us any raises or job opportunities. So I'm going to start listing some of the ways I was gouged and my response.
Okay, I'm going to start with Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix. One day a month or two ago, I was out shopping and noticed that Giant Eagle was out of Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix. I bought my usual groceries and decided to go to Shop 'n Save for items I didn't find at Giant Eagle. While at Shop 'n Save I noticed Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix now cost close to $5.00. NO WAY was I going to spend that for a box of pancake mix! Well, the next time I was at Giant Eagle, they had received another shipment of the mix. They had priced it at $2.74. Well, that was a good deal, but I knew it wouldn't last. So I bought a box of it and was using it until it went up to $4.74! I just got angry and said, screw it, I'll buy some buckwheat flour in bulk and make my own buckwheat pancakes from scratch! Well, I went to the food coop for my monthly shopping trip and stocked up on buckwheat flour. I made a supply of frozen buckwheat 13-grain with flax seed pancakes from scratch, and they weren't that bad. A couple days later, I went to Wal-Mart, and they still have the Hodgson Mill mix for $2.72.
The moral of the story: Hodgson Mill has now lost a customer because of the gougers. If the gougers had kept the mix at a reasonable price, I never would have gone to the food coop and bought buckwheat flour in bulk. However, the gougers have forced me into it, and now I'll just permanently change my lifestyle and make my buckwheat pancakes from scratch!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
CNBC
CNBC is this channel no one watched until the current financial meltdown. Suddenly, everyone started watching it. Therefore, other channels felt they suddenly had to compete to get people back.
There is an extremely annoying individual named Cramer on CNBC. I can't even listen to him and if he is on, I usually change the channel to CNN or FOX. He is actually free advertising for these channels. So I am not sure why they have to advertise that he is an idiot and they have better financial experts.
One night I did watch him for a few minutes. This was only because he was being interviewed by someone else. That's the only way he is coherent. Anyway, he was all doom and gloom and I don't even agree with him that things are as bad as he says. However, assuming he is correct, here is what he says the new US will be like. People won't be able to just go to the mall and mindlessly shop. People might just have to stay at home and spend time with their family. People might not be able to afford tickets to the playoff game. They might have to sit around the TV with their loved ones to watch it. He says the US will be a sadder place because of this. At this point, I changed the channel--I'm not sure whether it was to CNN, FOX, ESPN or what, but the channel I changed to didn't need to waste their time advertising that they had something better than Cramer on!
There is an extremely annoying individual named Cramer on CNBC. I can't even listen to him and if he is on, I usually change the channel to CNN or FOX. He is actually free advertising for these channels. So I am not sure why they have to advertise that he is an idiot and they have better financial experts.
One night I did watch him for a few minutes. This was only because he was being interviewed by someone else. That's the only way he is coherent. Anyway, he was all doom and gloom and I don't even agree with him that things are as bad as he says. However, assuming he is correct, here is what he says the new US will be like. People won't be able to just go to the mall and mindlessly shop. People might just have to stay at home and spend time with their family. People might not be able to afford tickets to the playoff game. They might have to sit around the TV with their loved ones to watch it. He says the US will be a sadder place because of this. At this point, I changed the channel--I'm not sure whether it was to CNN, FOX, ESPN or what, but the channel I changed to didn't need to waste their time advertising that they had something better than Cramer on!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Job Interview 2
I always try to find the up side in a bad situation. There are always two sides to these situations, it seems. It turns out you can find a lot of lessons in the current economic crisis, and these are lessons we need to learn.
Before the economic crisis, I was feeling very anxious. I think the main reason I was feeling anxious was that I was feeling more and more gouged. Everyone was raising prices on everything--because they thought they would be paid. So where would it stop? The economic crisis has stopped it, so while this crisis causes anxiety, the pre-crisis gouging also caused anxiety.
I live in a small house that I grew up in. But think of someone who felt pressured, by their spouse, their kids, their friends, relatives, associates, coworkers, into buying a certain size house they knew they probably couldn't afford. Now they may be losing that house, but when things improve, they may live longer not having to spend their whole life hanging onto something they knew they really could never afford. I remember back in San Francisco in the early 1990's when I was a legal secretary. I would get temp jobs at firms where attorneys were told what kind of car they had to have, what type of person they had to marry, and what they had to do for recreation on the little free time they had in order to be accepted at the law firm. They had no personal freedom at all. They had lots of money and a prestigious job, but they were forced to do 24/7 everything the firm told them to do. I think lots of times they even had to pretend who they supported politically. I met a whole class of gay men who had to pretend they were Republicans in order to have certain jobs, date a certain type of guy, and be accepted in the right crowd. Now how crazy is that! The Republican Party at that time didn't think gay men should be allowed to exist, and these guys had to pretend to be Republicans so other gay men would accept them!
Well, there is an up side to this economic crisis, because all of a sudden, within a few months, the gougers found out that the gougees had nothing left to gouge. And the gougers found out, guess what, I can't live without the gougees. I'm depending on gouging people to make it and the gougees have nothing left to gouge.
This will explain why there is still quite a healthy job market here in Pittsburgh. I sure could see this when I visited this temp agency. Several years ago, when I was applying for jobs, most of the agencies were on the Parkway out in Robinson and Moon Township. There were a lot of jobs out there. These agencies just expected you to drive out there to apply with them. They just expected you'd be thrilled to commute 1 1/2 each way to accept one of their jobs out the Parkway. And they figured you'd do it for relatively low pay. Steubenville, Ohio started to run advertisements as the burb of the Burgh. They encouraged people to move to Steubenville for much lower taxes and commute 30 miles to Robinson Township for jobs. All the employers figured, hey, now all these Pittsburghers will have to compete with the people in Steubenville for jobs.
Well, all of a sudden, gas prices were over $4 a gallon and guess what. No one could afford to drive out to these agencies to even apply for a job. No one from Steubenville could afford to commute to a job in Robinson Township and neither could anyone in the Pittsburgh area. The pay didn't go up. They were still offering people $11 or $12 an hour and no one could afford to get to the job paying that.
When I went into the agency the other day, I was given a drug test. I was asked to sign papers for several investigations. I was told that if they got me a job, the money for the drug test and the investigations would come out of my first pay check.
Well, guess what? This agency can't get anyone to work for them because no one can afford to give up that much money from their first pay check. So people of good intentions who probably WANT to work for this agency can't afford to. They have to go elsewhere. They have to find an agency who won't charge them. They have to find a job on their own and can't afford to use an agency anymore. On the other end, the employers call up wanting a temp and find they can't afford the agency's fees. They have to make due somehow with the workers they already have.
I was as much as told by this agency that they had to move somewhere easily accessible by public transit. Apparently, they can't even find enough applicants anymore with a car. They also can't find applicants who have a car to get to a job. They have to start somehow to recruit applicants who have to use public transportation to get to a job. And guess what else? Suddenly, the job market dried up out on the Parkway, because no one can afford to drive there for a job. Now the jobs have very suddenly, very violently, almost, shifted back to areas where people can take a bus or subway or don't have to drive far.
Things could not go on the way they were. People were being charged and gouged more and more. People could not go on paying these prices, being herded around this way, having more and more asked of them and still paying their exhorbitant mortgages. A person who wonders if they will be on the street next month isn't in much of a mood to drive out the Parkway to apply for some job that may or may not exist and then fork over additional money to be drug tested and investigated. It appears the gougers got so greedy that the gougees had nothing left to be gouged ...
Before the economic crisis, I was feeling very anxious. I think the main reason I was feeling anxious was that I was feeling more and more gouged. Everyone was raising prices on everything--because they thought they would be paid. So where would it stop? The economic crisis has stopped it, so while this crisis causes anxiety, the pre-crisis gouging also caused anxiety.
I live in a small house that I grew up in. But think of someone who felt pressured, by their spouse, their kids, their friends, relatives, associates, coworkers, into buying a certain size house they knew they probably couldn't afford. Now they may be losing that house, but when things improve, they may live longer not having to spend their whole life hanging onto something they knew they really could never afford. I remember back in San Francisco in the early 1990's when I was a legal secretary. I would get temp jobs at firms where attorneys were told what kind of car they had to have, what type of person they had to marry, and what they had to do for recreation on the little free time they had in order to be accepted at the law firm. They had no personal freedom at all. They had lots of money and a prestigious job, but they were forced to do 24/7 everything the firm told them to do. I think lots of times they even had to pretend who they supported politically. I met a whole class of gay men who had to pretend they were Republicans in order to have certain jobs, date a certain type of guy, and be accepted in the right crowd. Now how crazy is that! The Republican Party at that time didn't think gay men should be allowed to exist, and these guys had to pretend to be Republicans so other gay men would accept them!
Well, there is an up side to this economic crisis, because all of a sudden, within a few months, the gougers found out that the gougees had nothing left to gouge. And the gougers found out, guess what, I can't live without the gougees. I'm depending on gouging people to make it and the gougees have nothing left to gouge.
This will explain why there is still quite a healthy job market here in Pittsburgh. I sure could see this when I visited this temp agency. Several years ago, when I was applying for jobs, most of the agencies were on the Parkway out in Robinson and Moon Township. There were a lot of jobs out there. These agencies just expected you to drive out there to apply with them. They just expected you'd be thrilled to commute 1 1/2 each way to accept one of their jobs out the Parkway. And they figured you'd do it for relatively low pay. Steubenville, Ohio started to run advertisements as the burb of the Burgh. They encouraged people to move to Steubenville for much lower taxes and commute 30 miles to Robinson Township for jobs. All the employers figured, hey, now all these Pittsburghers will have to compete with the people in Steubenville for jobs.
Well, all of a sudden, gas prices were over $4 a gallon and guess what. No one could afford to drive out to these agencies to even apply for a job. No one from Steubenville could afford to commute to a job in Robinson Township and neither could anyone in the Pittsburgh area. The pay didn't go up. They were still offering people $11 or $12 an hour and no one could afford to get to the job paying that.
When I went into the agency the other day, I was given a drug test. I was asked to sign papers for several investigations. I was told that if they got me a job, the money for the drug test and the investigations would come out of my first pay check.
Well, guess what? This agency can't get anyone to work for them because no one can afford to give up that much money from their first pay check. So people of good intentions who probably WANT to work for this agency can't afford to. They have to go elsewhere. They have to find an agency who won't charge them. They have to find a job on their own and can't afford to use an agency anymore. On the other end, the employers call up wanting a temp and find they can't afford the agency's fees. They have to make due somehow with the workers they already have.
I was as much as told by this agency that they had to move somewhere easily accessible by public transit. Apparently, they can't even find enough applicants anymore with a car. They also can't find applicants who have a car to get to a job. They have to start somehow to recruit applicants who have to use public transportation to get to a job. And guess what else? Suddenly, the job market dried up out on the Parkway, because no one can afford to drive there for a job. Now the jobs have very suddenly, very violently, almost, shifted back to areas where people can take a bus or subway or don't have to drive far.
Things could not go on the way they were. People were being charged and gouged more and more. People could not go on paying these prices, being herded around this way, having more and more asked of them and still paying their exhorbitant mortgages. A person who wonders if they will be on the street next month isn't in much of a mood to drive out the Parkway to apply for some job that may or may not exist and then fork over additional money to be drug tested and investigated. It appears the gougers got so greedy that the gougees had nothing left to be gouged ...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Job Interview 1
The economic crisis has gotten me back into my soto zen practice. This practice won't interfere in any way with my continuing to attend Sixth Presbyterian Church. But it has helped me to deal with some of the anxieties of these hard economic times and the daily uncertainties.
I had an experience yesterday which it will take me several posts to discuss. I have been trying to rely on my revived zen practice to assist me.
Several years ago, I applied at a medical temp agency. This temp agency was probably more interested in finding nurses and other support staff for direct patient care. I applied there because I had just received a certificate in medical transcription, so I was looking for office/typing/secretarial type work. I had to drive way out close to the airport to apply there. Over the years, the agency calls me about every six months with a job which is too far away for me to be interested.
Yesterday, out of the blue, the agency called me and literally begged me to come in. They dangled a part-time job before me which probably is not really available. It is about a 5-mile commute for me. Well, they had moved into town. They wanted me to come in so badly that they were willing to interview me without a current resume and before I had hunted up all the necessary paperwork to being working again. Also, I really don't have a wardrobe together yet to be working in offices, because I wasn't exactly sure yet what type of part-time work I'd be looking for.
My impression upon leaving the agency yesterday is that everything has suddenly changed and everyone is scrambling to keep up with it. Almost suddenly, the job market out in Moon and Robinson and near the airport has dried up. Almost suddenly, not enough people own or are willing to use cars or pay for gas in order to work or apply for jobs. Almost overnight, if this agency doesn't want to go bankrupt, they have to recruit workers who use public transportation. Almost overnight, one job market went bust and another emerged.
I, like the agency, am on possibly even a moment-to-moment roller coaster with this economy. Do I flit around like this or do I seek something inside? I got very weary trying constantly to keep up with this roller coaster on a moment-by-moment basis and it led me back to the soto zen practice I was doing back in the late 90's.
Next post, I will talk about how visiting this agency affected me and make some reflections on it.
I had an experience yesterday which it will take me several posts to discuss. I have been trying to rely on my revived zen practice to assist me.
Several years ago, I applied at a medical temp agency. This temp agency was probably more interested in finding nurses and other support staff for direct patient care. I applied there because I had just received a certificate in medical transcription, so I was looking for office/typing/secretarial type work. I had to drive way out close to the airport to apply there. Over the years, the agency calls me about every six months with a job which is too far away for me to be interested.
Yesterday, out of the blue, the agency called me and literally begged me to come in. They dangled a part-time job before me which probably is not really available. It is about a 5-mile commute for me. Well, they had moved into town. They wanted me to come in so badly that they were willing to interview me without a current resume and before I had hunted up all the necessary paperwork to being working again. Also, I really don't have a wardrobe together yet to be working in offices, because I wasn't exactly sure yet what type of part-time work I'd be looking for.
My impression upon leaving the agency yesterday is that everything has suddenly changed and everyone is scrambling to keep up with it. Almost suddenly, the job market out in Moon and Robinson and near the airport has dried up. Almost suddenly, not enough people own or are willing to use cars or pay for gas in order to work or apply for jobs. Almost overnight, if this agency doesn't want to go bankrupt, they have to recruit workers who use public transportation. Almost overnight, one job market went bust and another emerged.
I, like the agency, am on possibly even a moment-to-moment roller coaster with this economy. Do I flit around like this or do I seek something inside? I got very weary trying constantly to keep up with this roller coaster on a moment-by-moment basis and it led me back to the soto zen practice I was doing back in the late 90's.
Next post, I will talk about how visiting this agency affected me and make some reflections on it.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday Update
I'll take a minute away from studies to do a quick update. Kimberly and I attended a Lenape pow wow at Cedar Creek Park yesterday. God sent a series of interesting messengers to get us to this pow wow, which is not far from where we live. I was jogging at Cedar Creek Park last week when a van full of Apache Indians from California pulled up in front of me. I met a beautiful, celestial, angelic Apache woman dressed in her native regalia who had shown up a week too early for the pow wow. She told me there was supposed to be a pow wow at Cedar Creek Park and also told me where to go to see the white buffalo. While trying to find out if there was such a pow wow, we found out there was one in Monaca in Beaver County. Kimberly was thinking of attending that pow wow. Well, then, I went jogging at Smithton, which is near Cedar Creek Park. Out of nowhere, a woman on a bicycle stopped me because she wished to chat with me about various things. This woman had just ridden through Cedar Creek Park and told me a pow wow was going on. This is how we found out about it. Kimberly then looked up the organization sponsoring the pow wow. The organization looked like a promising one for Kimberly to join. So we went to check out the pow wow.
I greatly love Cedar Creek Park. It is one of the places I jog at regularly. I really like the new trekkers campground. The pow wow was held right next to it. I enjoyed the pow wow and the dancing. I danced several of the dances. One thing I liked about this pow wow was more women drummers and singers. Anyway, Kimberly got to talk to the Lenape chief for one hour. They had a very good talk, and Kimberly feels this is the right group for her to join. I still felt more connected at the Thunder Mountain pow wow. I really love their land and what they've built there. However, I agree this new group is probably a better fit for Kimberly. I think this group is more active and that we will be able to maintain contact with the other Lenape around here through this group. It is also based in Westmoreland County close to my land in Rector and the places I like to frequent up that way.
I feel that I do have some Lenape blood. We were told as children that the Sharpnacks have a direct ancestor who was Indian. I couldn't figure it out, but I now have an idea where this came from. I have a sixth great grandfather who lived in this area before the Indians were chased out. He lived here when probably very few white women lived here. Also, from my readings, at that time it was very hard to marry a white woman before you were established economically. That's why older men in their 40's and 50's would marry a very young girl in her late teens. Younger men could not afford to marry. It probably was even harder when my 6th great grandfather lived here. He was killed by a Lenape woman. However, he had two young sons and they never mention who the mother was. This is a major clue that the mother was Indian. He would have been the great grandfather of the ancestor who married into the Sharpnack family.
For my part, I have gotten back into soto zen meditation. When I lived in San Francisco, I meditated and chanted with Hindus, but I could not find a group around Pittsburgh when I moved back, so eventually I meditated with a soto zen group. I have gotten back into this form of meditation. This will not interfere with me attending and worshipping at Sixth Presbyterian Church because this form of meditation can be added to one's faith and is not an impediment to any faith.
I greatly love Cedar Creek Park. It is one of the places I jog at regularly. I really like the new trekkers campground. The pow wow was held right next to it. I enjoyed the pow wow and the dancing. I danced several of the dances. One thing I liked about this pow wow was more women drummers and singers. Anyway, Kimberly got to talk to the Lenape chief for one hour. They had a very good talk, and Kimberly feels this is the right group for her to join. I still felt more connected at the Thunder Mountain pow wow. I really love their land and what they've built there. However, I agree this new group is probably a better fit for Kimberly. I think this group is more active and that we will be able to maintain contact with the other Lenape around here through this group. It is also based in Westmoreland County close to my land in Rector and the places I like to frequent up that way.
I feel that I do have some Lenape blood. We were told as children that the Sharpnacks have a direct ancestor who was Indian. I couldn't figure it out, but I now have an idea where this came from. I have a sixth great grandfather who lived in this area before the Indians were chased out. He lived here when probably very few white women lived here. Also, from my readings, at that time it was very hard to marry a white woman before you were established economically. That's why older men in their 40's and 50's would marry a very young girl in her late teens. Younger men could not afford to marry. It probably was even harder when my 6th great grandfather lived here. He was killed by a Lenape woman. However, he had two young sons and they never mention who the mother was. This is a major clue that the mother was Indian. He would have been the great grandfather of the ancestor who married into the Sharpnack family.
For my part, I have gotten back into soto zen meditation. When I lived in San Francisco, I meditated and chanted with Hindus, but I could not find a group around Pittsburgh when I moved back, so eventually I meditated with a soto zen group. I have gotten back into this form of meditation. This will not interfere with me attending and worshipping at Sixth Presbyterian Church because this form of meditation can be added to one's faith and is not an impediment to any faith.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Economic Crisis
These next couple weeks, I have a couple mid-terms. One is in Applied Anatomy and Kinesiology. The other one is in First Aid and Sports Injuries. I'll be busy with that. I lost 4 pounds at the last TOPS meeting and was the biggest loser. I have been doing lots of jogging trying to find some kind of weight goal. I'm in the same place with a weight goal as I am with the economy. Both are wait and see situations. I'm lucky I have the distraction of the weight goal and the mid-terms to try to ride out what is happening with the economy. If things continue to deteriorate, I will probably have to forget about getting any advanced degrees for now and look for a job.
Because of the bad economy and the reality that things may never be the same again, which I've actually been dealing with anyway for quite awhile, I'm working on some permanent changes. I successfully baked my own bread using a recipe I used in my early 20's when I was dirt poor. Now I must warn you that my bread is not for everyone. People who like my bread are generally those who like fiber! In any case, I liked the bread. When I was in my early 20's, this bread really helped me stay slim. I also baked some corn bread and have started making pancakes from scratch. Again, my pancakes are bare bones and do not contain milk, oil, or eggs. Instead of putting butter or syrup on them, I spray them with spray butter. Today, I'm going to make a supply of them and freeze them. I have ground up some extra grains to put in with the buckwheat. I'm going to make my own waffles soon and freeze them. I was able to get a huge bag of stone ground whole wheat flour on sale for $2. So if I keep this up, this will save lots of money. I have also started making my own vegetable, minestrone, and bean soups from scratch. They contain almost no fat at all. I frequently make vegetarian Algerian cous cous from scratch and it contains very little fat. We'll see if all this can also help me keep my weight down along with the expenses. I'll find out at my TOPS meetings.
Because of the bad economy and the reality that things may never be the same again, which I've actually been dealing with anyway for quite awhile, I'm working on some permanent changes. I successfully baked my own bread using a recipe I used in my early 20's when I was dirt poor. Now I must warn you that my bread is not for everyone. People who like my bread are generally those who like fiber! In any case, I liked the bread. When I was in my early 20's, this bread really helped me stay slim. I also baked some corn bread and have started making pancakes from scratch. Again, my pancakes are bare bones and do not contain milk, oil, or eggs. Instead of putting butter or syrup on them, I spray them with spray butter. Today, I'm going to make a supply of them and freeze them. I have ground up some extra grains to put in with the buckwheat. I'm going to make my own waffles soon and freeze them. I was able to get a huge bag of stone ground whole wheat flour on sale for $2. So if I keep this up, this will save lots of money. I have also started making my own vegetable, minestrone, and bean soups from scratch. They contain almost no fat at all. I frequently make vegetarian Algerian cous cous from scratch and it contains very little fat. We'll see if all this can also help me keep my weight down along with the expenses. I'll find out at my TOPS meetings.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
October is here!
Yesterday would have been my dad's 89th birthday. He died in early 2000. I think he is up there in heaven very pleased with the things he loved. He would not allow us to throw out his old motorcycle. It sat down in the cellar with dust all over it. Well, we found a new home for it to my surprise! A motorcycle enthusiast from Ohio wanted to fix it up and he came to get it. We even found the title so that I can transfer it. These days with the internet, you can even find it online and find parts to restore it.
Now Kimberly is going to restore my dad's old camping trailer that we went camping in as kids. Kimberly has started this but it is expected to be a 3-4 year project. We had someone willing to tow the trailer away to junk it, but Daddy wouldn't let us!
I still live in the house. People are restoring the house in Clairton where Daddy grew up to its original condition. They want it to look like it looked when my great grandfather built it.
We are taking good care of Daddy's beloved lot and shed in Rector, PA. We are also taking good care of Daddy and Mother's beloved cat Pounce.
Kimberly has also turned Daddy's barn, which I designed for him, into the barn he dreamed of. The bottom floor is a workshop now, and Kimberly put electricity in the barn.
Also, Kimberly improved the patio built up in the back of the yard and is going to restore the park bench my grandfather built. Daddy would never let us throw that rickety old thing out either.
We are making good use of some of the things Daddy left. Daddy left tools and camping gear, some of it never used, and we will put it all to good use. We are also taking very good care of Daddy's beloved truck. We are taking good care of the 95 Escort station wagon, and my cousin Alan is restoring the 93 Escort wagon up in Corry, PA.
We found a lot of stuff in the attic from my grandmother. She died when my dad was three days old. We will sort out, restore, and take care of those items. We are taking care of all the family dishes, cookware, photos, etc. We still have my great grandfather's stuff and are caring for it.
Over the weekend, I went to the Dorseyville pow wow. It wasn't much fun. It was really crowded, not as pretty as the Thunder Mountain one in Saltsburg, not as spiritual, and it poured down rain. You had to park and take a shuttle bus to the pow wow. However, we connected with a couple we had met at the Thunder Mountain pow wow. They are very interesting and have done extensive research into the Shawnee Indian lifestyle and live as Shawnee Indians. They joined the Thunder Mountain tribe. Kimberly also recently joined it. We got a book from them and they played a drum and flute duo for us.
We had just gotten back from a camping trip at Shawnee State Park. The weather was beautiful, and we had a wonderful time there. I got a lot of exercise and jogged around the lake twice. We also got to see the buffalo on Route 30 again.
Sunday I went to the TOPS picnic on the Yough Trail. The food and company was great. I also jogged six miles on the trail. It was gorgeous! Recently, I've also taken several walks at Cedar Creek Park. They have a really nice new primitive campground for people who take long treks on the trail. They even have an Adirondack shelter.
Last night I jogged and walked at my former high school while during band practice.
This morning I am off to my new back to basics lifestyle and am making soup stock for my homemade soups.
Now Kimberly is going to restore my dad's old camping trailer that we went camping in as kids. Kimberly has started this but it is expected to be a 3-4 year project. We had someone willing to tow the trailer away to junk it, but Daddy wouldn't let us!
I still live in the house. People are restoring the house in Clairton where Daddy grew up to its original condition. They want it to look like it looked when my great grandfather built it.
We are taking good care of Daddy's beloved lot and shed in Rector, PA. We are also taking good care of Daddy and Mother's beloved cat Pounce.
Kimberly has also turned Daddy's barn, which I designed for him, into the barn he dreamed of. The bottom floor is a workshop now, and Kimberly put electricity in the barn.
Also, Kimberly improved the patio built up in the back of the yard and is going to restore the park bench my grandfather built. Daddy would never let us throw that rickety old thing out either.
We are making good use of some of the things Daddy left. Daddy left tools and camping gear, some of it never used, and we will put it all to good use. We are also taking very good care of Daddy's beloved truck. We are taking good care of the 95 Escort station wagon, and my cousin Alan is restoring the 93 Escort wagon up in Corry, PA.
We found a lot of stuff in the attic from my grandmother. She died when my dad was three days old. We will sort out, restore, and take care of those items. We are taking care of all the family dishes, cookware, photos, etc. We still have my great grandfather's stuff and are caring for it.
Over the weekend, I went to the Dorseyville pow wow. It wasn't much fun. It was really crowded, not as pretty as the Thunder Mountain one in Saltsburg, not as spiritual, and it poured down rain. You had to park and take a shuttle bus to the pow wow. However, we connected with a couple we had met at the Thunder Mountain pow wow. They are very interesting and have done extensive research into the Shawnee Indian lifestyle and live as Shawnee Indians. They joined the Thunder Mountain tribe. Kimberly also recently joined it. We got a book from them and they played a drum and flute duo for us.
We had just gotten back from a camping trip at Shawnee State Park. The weather was beautiful, and we had a wonderful time there. I got a lot of exercise and jogged around the lake twice. We also got to see the buffalo on Route 30 again.
Sunday I went to the TOPS picnic on the Yough Trail. The food and company was great. I also jogged six miles on the trail. It was gorgeous! Recently, I've also taken several walks at Cedar Creek Park. They have a really nice new primitive campground for people who take long treks on the trail. They even have an Adirondack shelter.
Last night I jogged and walked at my former high school while during band practice.
This morning I am off to my new back to basics lifestyle and am making soup stock for my homemade soups.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)